We’re all wondering what the political, social and public health landscape will look like next year, but what about the food industry? What should brand owners, product developers and manufacturers consider?
These days, you can have your cake and eat it, too. Today's sweet bakery treats like cakes, pies, cheesecakes, and cookies often combine the best of multiple worlds, bridging apparent gaps between indulgence, better-for-you and specialized dietary choices, clean label, sound functionality, and globally minded sustainability.
The term "sustainability" embodies a number of different meanings. According to the Oxford English dictionary, one definition refers to the "avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance."
Grains are a fundamental ingredient in snack food and bakery products and an important food in consumer diets. In fact, based on the 2020 IFIC Food and Health Survey, consumers view fiber, whole grains, and protein from plants as the healthiest, and most-sought-after, nutrients.
Nuts, fruits, and other common inclusions deliver many attributes consumers seek, including elevated taste, texture, and nutrition. In addition, these ingredients address consumer increasing interest in plant-based foods and proteins, and often fit clean-label criteria.
There was a time, not so long ago, when nutritional boundaries were more clear-cut. "Indulgent foods weren't healthy," says Mel Festejo, COO, American Key Food Products, Closter, NJ. "They either had a surfeit of nutrients that triggered health issues, or they contained ingredients whose names raised anxiety."
Snack food and bakery companies in the market for mixers want machines that provide qualities like ease of sanitation, food safety, automation, airtight seals, and consistent operation that guards against product degradation during the mixing cycle.
Salty snacks like chips, popcorn, pretzels, and snack crackers have long been a staple in the home, and have become even more essential now during the coronavirus pandemic.